[WPS] Women's pro soccer will be returning to Atlanta in 2010 when an Women's Professional Soccer expansion team will begin play.

Atlanta joins Philadelphia as an expected 2010 WPS expansion city to join seven cities named to date for the inaugural 2009 season -- Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C.

Atlanta entrepreneur T. Fitz Johnson, former CEO of Eagle Group International, LLC, leads the local WPS ownership group that signed a letter of intent and is slated to serve as the team's managing partner.

"Atlanta is well-known throughout the country as being a solid soccer city filled with talented players and enthusiastic fans, so we've had our eye on Atlanta as an expansion market for many months," said Tonya Antonucci, the WPS commissioner.  "The League is fortunate to have Fitz on board, as we will certainly tap his enthusiasm and business savvy during our inaugural season."

Women's soccer has a strong tradition in Atlanta.

Atlanta was home to the WUSA's Beat, the only team in the league to reach the playoffs every season (2001-03). The Silverbacks, affiliated with the team in the USL First Division, reached the 2008 W-League playoffs.